


Eternal

by ColdFront



Category: citrus - サブロウタ | citrus - Saburouta
Genre: Deities, Emotional Manipulation, F/F, Far Future, The Weirdest Thing I've Ever Written, Unhealthy Relationships, Wingfic, corrupted mei
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-27
Updated: 2020-12-03
Packaged: 2021-03-06 18:48:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,437
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26133736
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ColdFront/pseuds/ColdFront
Summary: Matsuri has followed Mei for the last two hundred years, as Mei ascended into godhood and warped the world around her. It wasn't easy, but she could handle it - until Mei brought back a ghost from the distant past.
Relationships: Aihara Mei/Aihara Yuzu, Aihara Mei/Mizusawa Matsuri, Aihara Yuzu/Mizusawa Matsuri
Comments: 10
Kudos: 16





	1. Eidolon

**Author's Note:**

> This is something that started out as a dream, and that I've been kicking around for several months.
> 
> Expect weirdness.

For Matsuri Mizusawa, it had been a rough two hundred years.

Decaying apartment complexes rose like skeletal giants out of the misty forest that used to be a middle-class neighborhood, and if Matsuri didn't know the road by heart, she never would have been able to find it through the twilight fog and the thick undergrowth. She'd been down this road a hundred times, maybe a thousand, back when people lived here. A few of them still did, of course, mostly out toward the Academy, living in Mei's shadow. Mei thought of herself as a benevolent goddess, but something about the presence of an immortal, reality-warping teenage girl made people want to live elsewhere - so when Mei rose, wild forests rose with her, reclaiming the places the humans left behind. Sometimes Matsuri liked coming here, bathing in the poisonous nostalgia, but tonight she was here on a mission and she couldn't afford to indulge in such things. A thorn had lodged itself in her left wing, and the remnants of the past seemed disturbing and oppressive instead of poignant.

Still, though, the memories seemed to call to her. She paused a moment, and closed her eyes. _Ahh... there it is._ For just a moment, she could hear them all again - kids playing in parks, cars going by, people laughing. She was just a kid again, on her way to visit her best friend. The worst thing she had to worry about was Yuzu's bitchy but hot girlfriend, and trying not to get kicked out of school.

A gust of wind blew through the collapsing buildings, and the illusion shattered. Matsuri opened her eyes and saw nothing but an ending world. _Doesn't matter. I was an idiot back then anyway._

* * *

The first time was maybe sixty years after Mei rose. Mei had still been willing to leave the Academy back then, so they went to the old apartment together. Matsuri hadn't grown her wings yet, and still looked much like she had in her teenage years - maybe a little bit more vivid, a little bit more radiant, but still recognizable. The neighborhood was only just starting to be reclaimed by nature; the last humans had moved out a decade before. Matsuri still thought of herself as human, not as a... whatever Mei was. The word "goddess" seemed too ridiculous, somehow, but no other word could describe the reality of how Mei changed the world, and the people, around her.

That first attempt was a failure - Mei and Matsuri were both too shocked by what they saw, too slow. It hadn't stopped Mei from trying a second and a third time, though. Matsuri had been alone for the third, and it nearly worked; this was the fourth try, and Mei had once again sent Matsuri out alone. "You should be proud," Mei had murmured, her voice still as lovely as it had been two centuries earlier. "You're the only one i can trust... my beautiful guardian."

 _Then why aren't I enough?_ Matsuri didn't say, and instead just leaned deeper into Mei's embrace. Mei was all she had, after all, and she couldn't exactly go find a girlfriend at the immortal-winged-humanoid bar. Even the humans around the Academy feared her, just as they feared Mei, but without the love and worship Mei received.

That was okay, though. She had Mei, and that was what counted. That was what would endure, even when the humans were long gone.

* * *

The door to Yuzu's old apartment opened with what seemed like a deafening creak. Every decade or so, Mei sent out some of her followers to clean the place out, and it had not seen the same decay as the rest of the building. There was still a thick coating of dust, though, and signs of age elsewhere for anyone who chose to look - a tree branch growing against the window, mildew in the corners. In another fifty years, this place would be taken back by nature, unless Mei chose to intervene. Matsuri stepped into the room almost reverently, trying to ignore the memories that rose up around her like uneasy ghosts.

" _Can you help me with my homework?_ "  
" _So did you two go all the way yet?_ "  
" _Just being near you made me happy..._ "  
" _It's not real. None of this can be real!_ "

She took a deep breath, tasting the stale, musty air, and waited. She thought she heard a noise from what had once been Yuzu's mother's room, but when she rushed in, a mother fox stared angrily back at her, ready to defend her kits. Matsuri sighed, and flicked a wing nervously; it was past the time Mei had given her. Maybe she should head back to the Academy, and face whatever Mei's disappointment would bring. She left the room and the agitated fox behind, and turned back toward the living room.

She wasn't alone. Tears pooled up in Matsuri's eyes, and her wings unfolded instinctively behind her.

Yuzu Aihara stood nude in the living room of her former home, translucent enough to see the outline of the door behind her, and promptly threw up.

* * *

"Are you ready to talk yet?" Matsuri asked, sitting on the floor and cradling her best friend (once upon a time, at least) in her arms. Yuzu had moved past the retching phase and into the sitting-limp-shaking-and-sobbing phase. The second time she had come back, Yuzu hadn't even gotten this far - she had just looked at Mei's wings, and the ruins outside the window, and started fading away, mumbling to herself about how she was dreaming. 

This time, things were looking better. Yuzu's form still had a hint of translucency to it, but she didn't seem to be fading.

Matsuri held her tighter, stared into the bloodshot eyes of a girl she hadn't seen properly in over two centuries, and leaned down to kiss her gently on her forehead. Yuzu's shivering finally seemed to be subsiding, a little, but her eyes kept darting around the room like she expected something to jump out at her. "What- I mean, how -" she stammered, and Matsuri replied by stroking Yuzu's hair lightly.

"A lot of things have changed." _Great way to start off - with the stupidly obvious._ Matsuri closed her eyes, and a little stream of tears spilled out. "What's the last thing you remember?"

"I was... with Mei." Yuzu's voice was shaking, and she grabbed on to Matsuri's shirt like it was her only tether to safety. "We were coming back from school. I wanted to hold her hand but I didn't know if she'd like it. And - that's it. How many days have I been out? Why is the apartment empty and gross? Where's Mei? Why do you have fucking wings? Just tell me!" Her voice trailed off into something between a gasp and a wail.

"Let's go to the Academy, okay?" Matsuri said, filling her voice with calm and confidence she didn't feel. "Mei's there. She'll tell you everything. I promise it'll be okay."

_We got this far. She's back. Maybe we can somehow make things right._

_... And maybe Mei can figure out how to explain to Yuzu that she died two hundred years ago._


	2. Ephemeral

Himeko took great pride in keeping the student council efficient. Sure, some things had changed - Mei didn't used to be immortal, and neither did Himeko or the pink-haired bitch Mei seemed to keep around as something in between a pet and a hatchet-woman - but that was no excuse not to keep the Academy orderly. What was the Student Council Vice-President for, after all, if not to take care of the things the President was too distracted to deal with? Himeko knew Mei needed her, relied on her, and had a bond with her that Matsuri could never match. Sure, she hadn't been given wings like Matsuri, but they would have only gotten in the way.

She cleared her throat primly, and looked from one student council member to the next. "One final note... Remember that the Star Festival is next week, and is very important to our President," she said. Why did everyone look at her like that when she talked about Mei? She used to think it was pity, but that didn't make any sense. Fear of her authority, perhaps? "Please make sure the students all write down wishes. The President will do her best to make sure they come true. Please have a pleasant weekend, everyone." There were murmurs of assent, and the students filed out. Himeko stayed behind. Something about this place had always been strangely comforting to her, and she found herself lingering here from time to time - doing paperwork, making plans with the other members, or just looking out the window at the stars - they were so much brighter than they used to be, after all, and Himeko tried to appreciate the small things.

A familiar sensation nudged at the back of her mind - an overpowering feeling of no longer being alone.

_Himeko_

"Mei-Mei? What can I do?"

_I need you_

Mei's choice of words filled Himeko with purpose, as it always did, and she half-ran to the office that had once belonged to Mei's grandfather. The door was closed, but she could feel Mei's presence through it - troubled, uncertain. Himeko knocked once, prepared her soul for another encounter with her best friend, and stepped in.

It took Himeko's eyes a few seconds to adjust to the gloom of Mei's sanctum. The President stood in darkness by the window, staring out in the direction of her former home. She was a student, today - the same simple uniform and armband that she had worn for hundreds of years. Himeko had a vague impression of Mei's true form - wings, horns, glowing eyes - but when she blinked and looked closer, Mei looked much as she always had. Himeko preferred it that way. Mei's true form was more than a little frightening, and reminded her uncomfortably of Matsuri.

"Mei-Mei... is something wrong?" Himeko asked softly, and Mei finally turned to face her.

"Himeko... you're here." There were tears on Mei's cheeks, something Himeko hadn't seen for decades, and almost instinctively, she ran forward and wrapped her arms around her President. Mei tensed, but didn't pull away. When was the last time Himeko had hugged Mei like this? A century? More? The weight of decades of loyalty crashed down on Himeko in an instant, but it was all worth it for this moment. She could be there for her friend, the woman she loved, and that was the only thing that mattered.

It took almost a minute before she noticed Mei was not hugging her back, and she realized Mei looked more stunned than pleased or comforted. "Um... did I do something wrong?" Himeko asked, her heart racing.

"No." Mei pulled back, wiped her cheeks, and straightened up regally, like a heroine out of some long-forgotten story. The moment of vulnerability was shattered; Himeko's friend was gone, but the goddess, the President, remained. "Himeko, I called you here because I need you to do me a favor. I need you to prepare accomodations for someone who will be arriving shortly."

"Of course, anything - but who is it for?"

"Do you remember Yuzu Aihara? My sister?"

Himeko took a long, ragged, breath. Having to share Mei with Matsuri was bad enough - and now Yuzu was apparently back? Himeko wondered if Yuzu would be given wings, and tried to quell the unworthy hurt and disgust at the thought. _It doesn't matter. Spending eternity with her is worth it on its own._

"Of course. I'll get something ready in the dorm wing."

* * *

Matsuri realized, in retrospect, that she probably should have put more thought into what she was going to do about Yuzu once she was alive, non-transparent, and walking around. The blonde had been unusually quiet the whole trip back - clinging to Matsuri every time she passed something she had known that was now a skeletal echo of its former self, but not saying much. Yuzu had started retching again when they passed an abandoned crepe bakery, for some reason, and all Matsuri could do was hold her and reassure her until she felt able to keep going.

Now there was another problem. They were reaching the outskirts of Academy, and Matsuri had a sneaking suspicion that Yuzu was going to react badly to Glowy-Eyed Goddess Mei, among other things. She sighed, and glanced at Yuzu's bloodshot eyes, shining in the moonlight.

_I should get this over with._

"Hey Yuzu... let's talk for a sec."

Yuzu stopped in her tracks, and stared back at Matsuri silently.

"Mei's... uh... kind of a goddess."

That got a reaction. Yuzu's eyes widened, and she seemed to be genuinely curious for the first time since her restoration. "What are you talking about?"

"Mei's, like, a literal goddess. Wings and stuff. Like me, but even more. She runs the Academy."

"But... what about Grandpa?"

"He... kind of died. About a hundred and ninety years ago."

Yuzu didn't respond, and Matsuri could see her shaking. She reached out to hold Yuzu's hand, and waited for Yuzu's panic to pass. "Hey, I'm here for you," Matsuri murmured. "And I really missed you." Yuzu squeezed her hand, and stared up at the moon above. "Matsuri... what happened to Harumin?"

_Shit._

"We'll talk about it when we get to the Academy, okay? When you've eaten and had some sleep? I know it's all a lot to take in at once."

"You have no fucking idea," Yuzu said quietly.

* * *

"So this is still a city?" Yuzu asked. That horrible blank expression was gone, and she was at least talking regularly, but she still looked haunted. It was too late for any people to be around, but there were still some lights on in homes and apartments, and Yuzu seemed to perk up a little at the sight of them.

"Yeah, or at least a village. The is Academy. Not _the_ Academy, just the town around it."

"It's so weird - it seems like the closer we get to the school, the less has changed. I'm guessing Mei likes it that way?" Yuzu asked, and Matsuri nodded.

"She gets kind of nostalgic. The Academy itself is a little different, though."

"Is anyone else there? Like you? With the wings?"

"Himeko. No wings, though. I'm sure she'll be thrilled to see you."

They turned past the final corner into the immaculate courtyard of Aihara Academy, and Yuzu stopped in her tracks.

Mei Aihara, Incarnation of the Dawn, President of Aihara Academy, was waiting.

"Hello, Yuzu," she said, her voice shaking. "It's been a long time."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Poor Himeko. I don't think the last couple centuries have been good for her.


End file.
